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T
he contrasting political fortunes that befell
Central Asia and India in 2019 could have an impact
on their respective oil industries in this new
decade. Central Asia enjoyed a relatively peaceful
year, largely due to improved inter-state relations between
Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan,
and Azerbaijan, and their evolving ties with Russia and China.
A new generation of leaders is now in charge of the region,
having taken over from the batch that led these countries
from birth following the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991.
With Russia’s acquiescence, energy-hungry China continues
to expand influence and trade in the region through oil and
gas ties, and its US$1 trillion ‘Belt and Road’ initiative to link up
the economies of Central Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and
Ng Weng Hoong investigates the contrasting fortunes of Central Asia and India, and
what this could mean for their respective oil and gas industries as they head into the
new decade.
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